Herpetology - Bonn

Amphibians & Reptiles

The Herpetology Section specialises in amphibians and reptiles from all over the world, but mainly from Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Research focuses on taxonomy, diversity, auto-/synoecology, macro-ecology, species conservation, biogeography, species distribution modelling, evolution and phylogenetics.

The constantly growing scientific collection, which currently comprises > 110,000 specimens, is curated by PD Dr Dennis Rödder and Dr Claudia Koch.

Both curators are involved in university teaching and offer seminars, block modules, and excursions for the BSc Biology and OEP MSc degree programmes at the University of Bonn. Final theses (Bachelor/Master) and PhD theses are also supervised.

Innovative methods in morphology, taxonomy, and systematics

Every year, several hundred new amphibian and reptile species are described worldwide. The LIB makes an important contribution to this; since its foundation, type material of more than 700 taxa has been deposited in our section, including over 350 primary types (i.e. holo-, lecto-, and neotypes) and almost 100 syntypes. To identify new species, we use state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques (genetics, genomics, phylogenetics) as well as computer-aided imaging techniques such as µCT-based 3D reconstructions.

Computer-aided analyses in biogeography, evolutionary ecology, and conservation research

We investigate the effects of climate and land-use changes on different time scales, from currently observable distribution shifts and rather short-term distribution dynamics of (invasive) species (several years to decades) to evolutionary adaptations during speciation (several million years). Amphibians and reptiles are particularly suitable for this purpose, as they are highly dependent on environmental factors. Special attention has always been paid to the search for causal ecological mechanisms that determine distribution and abundance patterns in relation to environmental factors. We use the knowledge gained to make forecasts for the future and to become involved in international nature conservation.

Teaching programmes

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Supervision of project work and theses

Bachelor Biology OEP Biology Master PhD programme

OEP-A23 Advanced Bioinformatics in Phylogenetics, Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity research:
- Introduction to Scientific Programming in R (seminar/exercise)
- Introduction to GIS / species distribution modelling (seminar/exercise)
OEP-B30 Advanced Course in Combining Field and Lab Techniques and Methods in Organismic Biology, Evolutionary Biology or Paleobiology
OEP-C02 / WBIO-F-02: Zoogeography and ecology of marine organisms in tropical habitats (with an excursion to the Red Sea, Dahab/Egypt) (Seminar/Excursion)
OEP-C07 Biodiversity of the Tropics, with a Field Trip to Ecuador (Seminar/Excursion)
OEP-B16 Evolution, and Biodiversity of Lower Vertebrates (block course)
OEP-B19 Patterns and Processes Shaping Biodiversity (Seminar)
WBIO-E-01 Free practical courses for BSc Biology

Related collections

Herpetological Collection, Museum Koenig Bonn

Dr. Claudia Koch

Curator Herpetology
Radiation Protection Officer

Phone: +49 228 9122 234
E-Mail: c.koch@leibniz-lib.de

PD Dr. Dennis Rödder

Head of Section Herpetology

Phone: +49 228 9122 252
E-Mail: d.roedder@leibniz-lib.de

["English"] WCH10 — International networking: Members of Herpetology Bonn at the 10th World Congress of Herpetology in Borneo

["English"] Digitales Museum — We use big data and analyze evolutionary and biogeographical patterns

["English"] Polychrus peruvianus — Peruvian Bush Anole (Polychrus peruvianus)

["English"] Epictia antoniogarciai — The blind snake species Epictia antoniogarciai was discovered in 2015 in Cajamarca, Peru by researchers from the Museum Koenig

["English"] Liotyphlops beui — µCT scan of the head of a blind snake (Liotyphlops beui)

Projects

All projects

Macroecology and biogeography: effects of changing climates on biodiversity
Management: PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
Mapping the Decline: Elucidate the Diversity of Threatened Brazilian Amphibians
Management: PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
DD-GAP: Evaluation of knowlege gaps for developing One Plan Approach strategies and solutions
Management: PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
Evolution of the gecko's adhesive toes
Management: PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
Provenance research at the Museum Koenig
Management: Dr. André Koch

Publications

Complete list of publications since 2011

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2026

2026/02
Hofmann, S., Rödder, D., Schmidt, J., Flecks, M., Jablonski, D., Dubois, A., Ohler, A., Baniya, C.B., Vershinin, V., Litvinchuk, S.N., Dufresnes, C.
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Diversification and historical biogeography of the Himalayan toad (Duttaphrynus himalayanus)
Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 113473, 683
2026/01
Brito, J., Vargas, R., Tinoco, N., García, R., Carrión-Olmedo, J.C., Koch, C., Wistuba, R., Nivelo-Villavicencio, C., Pardiñas, U.F.J.
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Mountains of diversity: a systematic revision of the Andean rodent genus Oreoryzomys (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae)
PeerJ, 14
2026/01
Ginal, P., Ecker, Y., Higham, T., Grismer, L.L., Wipfler, B., Rödder, D., Russell, A., Riedel, J.
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Subdigital integumentary microstructure in Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkota): do those lineages with incipiently expressed toepads exclusively exhibit adhesive setae?
Beilstein journal of nanotechnology, 17
2026/01
Parmar, D., Kaiser, H.
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Whither Dendrelaphis in western India? A critique of recent papers by Vaishnav and Ghadi (2025) and Puranik et al. (2025)
Reptiles&Amphibians, 1, 33
2026/01
Bañeras, T., Jiménez-Alvarado, D., Meyers, E.K.M., Toledo-Padilla, H., Hardisson, A., Gonzalez-Weller, D., Barker, J., Mead, L.R., Espino-Ruano, A., Castro-Alonso, A., José-Caballero, M., Gutiérrez, Á.
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Characterization of metal contaminants in the Critically Endangered angelshark (Squatina squatina): A first ecotoxicological insight
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 222

2025

2025/12
Erfani, M., Abtin, E., Mobaraki, A., Kami, H.G., Pandi, D., Stevenson, C., Ziegler, T., Rödder, D., De Silva, A., Whitaker, N., Le, M.D., Samarasinghe, D., Vasava, A., Karunarathana, S.
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Nuchal scalation patterns in Iranian Mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris Lesson, 1831) point to an overlooked conservation unit.
Journal of wildlife and biodiversity, 4, 9
2025/12
Arribas, O., Böhme, W., Ineich, I., Jiang, J.
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Greetings to the IX. Meeting of the A.M.- Nikolsky Herpetological Society, devoted to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ilya Sergeyevich Darevsky, and the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. – Pp. 124-127 in: Doronin, I.V., Konstantinova, J.L., Mazanayeva, L.F. & N.B. Ananyeva (eds.): IX syezd Gerpetologicheskogo obshchestva A.M. Nikolskogo pri Rossiskoy Akademii nauk (Rossiya, g. Kaluga, 7 – 12 oktobryá 2024 g.) / IX Meeting of A.M. Nikolsky Herpetological Society (Russia, Kaluga, October 7 – 12, 2025. - Sovremyennaya Gerpetologiya / Current Studies in Herpetology, 25(3/4): 121-127.
2025/12
Auliya, M., Gautam, K.B.
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2024-2025 Report of the Monitor Lizard Specialist Group. In: IUCN SSC and Secretariat. Species: Annual Report of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and Secretariat 2024-2025. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 8 pp.
2025/12
Rösler, H., Ineich, I., Avila-Pires, T.C.S., Hoogmoed, M.S., Kaiser, H.
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Case 3798 – Gymnodactylus humeralis Guichenot, 1855 (currently Gonatodes humeralis; Reptilia, Sphaerodactylidae): proposed conservation of the specific name by suppression of Gymnodactylus timoriensis Duméril & Bibron, 1836
The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 1, 82
2025/12
Horta-Lacueva, Q., Uller, T., Flecks, M., Gabelaia, M., Hipsley, C.A., Kirchner, M., Müller, J., Feiner, N.
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Neural crest cell biology shapes lizard skull evolution across evolutionary time scales
Evolution Letters
2025/12
Poudyal, L.P., Rajak, B.R., Tamang, K., Chokhal, K., Chaudhary, H., Ghimire, M., Baral, H.S., Wood, J., Baral, S.
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Population density of cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichii) in Lower Kali Gandaki Valley of Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal
Nepalese Journal of Zoology, 2, 9
2025/12
Mews, J., Koch, C.
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Local Population Size of the Poorly Known Peruvian Lizard Polychrus jacquelinae
Herpetological conservation and biology, 3, 20
2025/12
Patschke, M., Koch, A., Schmitz, A., Böhme, W.
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Revised Taxonomy of the Varanus (Odatria) timorensis Species Complex (Squamata: Varanidae) from the Timor Archipelago: Two New Microendemic Taxa from the Islands of Kisar and Ndao
Russian Journal of Herpetology, 4, 32
2025/12
Wantania, L.L., Möhring, J., Koppetsch, T., Miesen, F.W., Wowor, D., Boneka, F., Herder, F.
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Sulawesi Stream Fish Communities Disconnected From the Sea: Absence of Diadromous and Dominance of Exotic Species
Freshwater biology, 12, 70
2025/12
Böhme, W.
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Herpetologe mit Fokus auf Lacertiden und Entdeckerder natürlichen Parthenogenese bei Wirbeltieren: Prof. Dr. Ilja Sergejewitsch Darewskij (1924 – 2009)
Die Eidechse, 3, 36
2025/11
Dufresnes, C., Gippner, S., Hofmann, S., Litvinchuk, S., Žagar, A., Jablonski, D., Pottier, G., Megía-Palma, R., Sánchez-Montes, G., Robles, O.J., Ayllón, E., Crochet, P., Martínez-Solano, ĺ.
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Slippery slopes: Montane isolation and elevational shifts shape the evolution and diversity of Iberolacerta lizards
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
2025/11
Miguel, A.R., Sitole, B.I., Calonga, N.A.M., Duarte, C.H., Armando, D., Nanvonamuquitxo, C.J.A., Kaiser, H.
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Beyond the asymptote: a near-complete reptile inventory in the Miombo woodland and on Mount Morué, Mocuba Municipality, with a major range extension for the lizard Nucras boulengeri Neumann, 1900
Herpetology Notes, 18
2025/11
Böhme, W.
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Neobiota in unserer Umwelt
2025/11
Al-Sheikhly, O.F., Böhme, W., Abdulzahra, H.K.
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Die Seeschlange Hydrophis lapemoides (Gray, 1849) (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae): erster dokumentierter Nachweis aus irakischen Küstengewässern / The Arabian Gulf Sea Snake Hydrophis lapemoides (Gray, 1849) (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae): first documented record from Iraqi marine waters
SAURIA – Zeitschrift für Terraristik & Herpetologie, 3, 47
2025/11
Kaiser, H.
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Comments on the retraction of an article by Faiz et al. (2017) on the putative occurrence of a King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836), in Pakistan
Herpetology Notes, 18
2025/11
Ribeiro-Junior, M.A., Koch, C., Flecks, M., Campbell, P.D., Calvo, M., Spawls, S., Vidal, N., Meiri, S.
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What is revealed from a widely distributed species in Africa and Southwest Asia? The case of the Telescopus dhara–obtusus species complex (Squamata: Colubridae)
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 3, 205
2025/10
Ginal, P., Hackenbroch, H., Le Manh, H., Nguyen, T.Q., Le, M.D., Rödder, D., Ziegler, T.
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Assessment of the threat status of bird species from Vietnam – Implementation of the One Plan Approach to conservation
Nature Conservation, 60
2025/10
Böhme, W., Denzer, W., Wüster, W.
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Noli tangere nomina probata! Taxonomists must prioritise stability and protection of well-established scientific names in herpetology
Salamandra, 4, 61
2025/10
Kukla, Y., Riedel, J., Rödder, D.
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Sticky Innovation, Limited Expansion: Biogeography and Evolutionary Ecology of Toepads in Geckos
Journal of Biogeography
2025/10
Bhusal, D.R., Kharel (Sitaula), R., Shrestha, B.R., Baral, S., Pandey, B., Pathak, P., Kumar, B., Karki, P., Joshi, S.N., Sharma, A.K., Upadhya, M.P.
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Landscape Heterogeneity and Changing Bioclimatic Parameters Link to Potential Expansion of Gazalina chrysolopha (Lepidoptera; Notodontidae) in Nepal: A Possible Bioagent for Seasonal Hyperacute Panuveitis (SHAPU) in South Asia
Ecology and Evolution, 10, 15

Employees

All employees

Dr. Elvis Almeida Pereira Silva
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: e.silva@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Mark Auliya
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
E-mail: m.auliya@leibniz-lib.de
Suraj Baral
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: s.baral@leibniz-lib.de
Ursula Bott
ztm Herpetology Bonn
Phone: +49 228 9122 249
E-mail: u.bott@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Böhme
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
Phone: +49 228 9122 250
E-mail: w.boehme@leibniz-lib.de
Michele Chiacchio
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: m.chiacchio@leibniz-lib.de
Dipl. Biol. Morris Flecks
ztm Herpetology Bonn
Phone: +49 228 9122 254
E-mail: m.flecks@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Rafaela França
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
Phone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: r.franca@leibniz-lib.de
Dipl. Biol. Timo Hartmann
ztm Animal husbandry Herpetology Bonn Animal keeper
Phone: +49 228 9122 274
E-mail: t.hartmann@leibniz-lib.de
Jens Hoberg
ztm Herpetology Bonn Volunteer employee
E-mail: jenshoberg@gmx.de
Dr. Sylvia Hofmann
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: s.hofmann@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Hinrich Kaiser
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
E-mail: h.kaiser@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Christine M. Kaiser
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
E-mail: c.kaiser@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Claudia Koch
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 234
E-mail: c.koch@leibniz-lib.de
Paul Kornacker
ztm Herpetology Bonn Volunteer employee
E-mail: p.kornacker@leibniz-lib.de
Yasemin Kukla
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: y.kukla@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Markus Lambertz
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: m.lambertz@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Angele Martins
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: angelemartins@gmail.com
Eva Meyers
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: e.meyers@leibniz-lib.de
Dikansh S. Parmar
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: d.parmar@leibniz-lib.de
Inna Rech
ztm Animal husbandry Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
Phone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: i.rech@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Jendrian Riedel
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: j.riedel@leibniz-lib.de
PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 252
E-mail: d.roedder@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Mirco Solé
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
E-mail: mksole@uesc.br